The Dominion. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1916. THE WELFARE OF OUR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2700, 21 February 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1916. THE WELFARE OF OUR SOLDIERS

The Government has been given a clear and candid indication by the patriotic societies represented .at last week's Conference of their view nf tho State's duty to our soldiers and their dependants. It is scarccly necessary to add that with the decision arrived at by the delegates un this point the public generally will be in full agreement. The responsibility placed on the shoulders of the Government is in the circumstances small enough:

All expenditure necessary to enable the soldier to fully carry out his duties, to maintain him at the highest point ot efficiency, to fully provide Sor all Ins needs in the event of his sickness and disablement, to fully restore him as near fts possible to his ordinary position in civil life, is tho responsibility of the Government The duty of providing in in adequate manner tor the dependants of a soldier while on service, or in the event of his death or disablement is also a responsibility of tho Government.i

These -were the conclusions arrived at by the delegates, .and no one can say that they impose any unduo charge on the State in return for the great service rendered by the men who have come forward to risk their lives in the service of thp country. The attitude of the Government towards these views, so far as disclosed by tho Minister of Public Health, was, on the whole, satisfactory. Mr. Htjsseix, indeed, succeeded in removing, or partly removing, some of the unpleasant impressions created by the interpretation placed on previous utterances regarding the respective responsibilities of the State and the- patriotic societies in the matter of caring for our returned and invalided soldiers. As a consequence, the Conference was able to make good progress in arriving at an understanding, and in laying the foundation of a scheme of federation op. practical lines which should materially assist to ensure a sound and uniform administration of the funds subscribed by the public for the benefit of our soldiers and their dependants. While the progress made and the decisions arrived at by the delegates deserve hearty, commendation, and will go far to'restore the wavering confidence of the public in the. administration of the funds, it is well that the Government and the patriotic societies should realise that there is a very strong public sentiment on this question'of the treatment of our troops. The impression has grown up, rightly or wrongly, that so far as the National Government is concerned, it has displayed timidity and 'narrowness of vision in weighing its responsibilities to those who have come forward to risk their lives for their country. It has been timid because of its fear, to inour the financial burden entailed by a, more liberal scale of treatment; and it has shown a narrowness of view in apparently failing to fully appreciate the greatness 01 the sacrifice made by the men who have enlisted, the immensity of the service they are rendering, and tho extent of the claim they have on those who stay behind. It must be admitted that, broadly speaking, the Government has behaved as liberally as any other Government within the Empire; but it has attempted to skimp and save in directions which were not worth while, and has in consequence created an impression that it is anxious to cut things as fine as possible. Probably this is not the desire of the Governmentit certainly is not the desire of the public—but the impression as stated exists, and tho Government, by its future actions, should see that it is removed. The patriotic ' societies administering the funds also should exercise care to remove a wrong impression. It was 1 - never intended that the funds subscribed fur the bmv-'ii*. of wounded soldiers mid Ihesir * doßendaats should be used to eug.

[ilcment in a general way the allowances made by tho State. Many people appear to have the idea that every woiiuded or invalided soldier is entitled to something out of. the funds administered by the patriotic societies. This, of course,, is not the case, and the societies in mostcases fully recognise this. The pnjeet of the funds is to enable assistance to be given where tho circumstances .are of a special nature, and so call for it. In a great many instances the. needs of the occasion will be adequately met by the allowances under the "War Pensions Act, and the test of successful administration of the patriotic funds will largely depend on the wisdom of the discretion shown by the different patriotic societies in conserving their funds so that the fullest'possible assistance may be given where it is mctet needed. Under the scheme of federation now agreed on there is hope of a reasonable degree of uniformity in the method of dealing with cases that come forward; and a regular interchange .of opinions and experiences must prove most helnful all round.